City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) hosted the Inaugural Commencement 2026 at City University of Hong Kong on 22 June. Over 420 MSc graduates travelled from Dongguan's Songshan Lake to Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong to attend the commencement, marking them as the university's first intake and alumni of CityUHK's global community.

Senior officials, academics and other guests attended the milestone event, including Mr Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee; Ms Li Jun, Vice Mayor of Dongguan Municipal People's Government; Mr Chen Yulin, a director of Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Professor Michael Ngai, Council Chairman of CityUHK; Professor Chun-Sing Lee, Acting President of CityUHK and Chairperson of CityUHK (Dongguan)'s Governing Board; and Professor Duan Baoyan, President of CityUHK (Dongguan) and Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Lu Chun, Executive President of CityUHK (Dongguan) and Vice-President of CityUHK.

In his address, Mr Leung highlighted the cross-border educational value of CityUHK (Dongguan), urging graduates to seize Greater Bay Area opportunities to fuel regional and national innovation. 

On behalf of Dongguan Municipal People's Government, Ms Li recognised CityUHK (Dongguan) as a landmark GBA education project backed by robust local industrial and innovation resources and encouraged graduates to build careers in Dongguan’s industries.

Professor Ngai highlighted CityUHK’s exceptional global credentials: it remains the world’s only university to be named THE’s Most International University for three consecutive years, placing 47th in the 2026–2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings and 52nd in the 2027 QS World University Rankings.

Professor Lee framed universities as an integral part of urban fabric, urging graduates to adopt entrepreneurial mindsets and embrace the mantra: "The future belongs to those who dare to begin."

 Professor Duan opened with “Life is a journey, and career is a marathon”. He reminded graduates that a strong start is vital, advising them to stay calm and determined amid global changes and pursue ambitious dreams with persistent dedication.

In the commencement, Mr Leung presented certificates to the Top 10 Graduates, including to student representative Nie Liheng, who spoke of how his studies in Dongguan built his resilience and cross-border perspective. Professor Ngai appointed the first Alumni Liaison Ambassadors to maintain lasting alumni ties between Dongguan and Hong Kong.

Most of the graduates have secured high-quality career opportunities. Multiple graduates have received offers from leading private enterprises, state-owned corporations and research institutions, including Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance, Meituan, JD.com, CATL, OPPO, Baidu, Xiaomi, NetEase, China Mobile, China Unicom, State Grid and Zhaoyin Fintech.

Some graduates will take up work in Hong Kong via the IANG visa scheme, while others will pursue doctoral degrees at world-renowned institutions including Nanyang Technological University, CityUHK, Fudan University and Harbin Institute of Technology.

Founded in 2024, CityUHK (Dongguan) has matured rapidly over two years alongside its inaugural cohort. The institution will further advance interdisciplinary, industry-linked education to deliver international opportunities for future students.